Norwegian Prima Breaks Free
On July 15, 2023, Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship, Norwegian Prima, broke free from its moorings in Belgium due to strong winds.
No guests or crew were harmed as the ship drifted away from the dock, causing the gangways to fall into the water.
Tugboats were deployed to safely bring the 143,535-gross-ton vessel back to the pier, where it was secured again.
Despite the incident, the ship continued its scheduled itinerary, and an investigation is underway while the sunken gangways are to be retrieved later.
Prima is spending the summer in Europe before repositioning to Texas this fall.
Royal Returns to New Orleans
After a couple of year hiatus, Royal Caribbean will resume operations in New Orleans next year.
Following its season in Los Angeles, Brilliance of the Seas will operate from the Big Easy for the entire 24-25 winter season, offering cruises to the Western Caribbean.
From October 2024 to April 2025, the ship will sail on week-long itineraries to Mexico, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, and Belize.
Before arriving in Nola, Brilliance will sail a 14-night repositioning through the Panama Canal cruise from LA next September.
Princess Changes Embarkation
Princess Cruises is introducing a new three-tiered embarkation system beginning August 1. The program makes the boarding process more efficient and will do away with arrival appointments.
This is how it breaks down. The system will include three lanes.
Green Lane for guests who have completed their travel checklist and opted to have their Medallion shipped to their house.
Blue Lane for those who have partially or fully completed their checklist but have chosen to collect their Medallion at the terminal.
Then there is the Accessibility Lane for guests with mobility or accessibility needs. Any guests needed that lane is welcome to use it.
Princess also updated how its boarding pass is laid out during the change.